Gangubai Kathiawadi: Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Alia Bhatt reveal actor’s first reaction to the film

With Sanjay Leela Bhansali at the helm, Gangubai Kathiawadi certainly has high expectations from audiences, who anxiously await to see if the filmmaker will add to his list of successes with the upcoming film. With its unlikely heroine, a brothel madam no less, the film has also found itself its fair share of naysayers already. So it comes as no surprise that even the film’s star, Alia Bhatt, had reservations when it came to accepting the role. The actress recently shared how she had reacted when the prolific filmmaker had approached her with the role.

Speaking to Mid Day, Bhatt revealed that she was caught by surprise about the nature of the film, having never heard of Gangubai before. As such, her mind was filled with an array of fears, all of which she put to rest by having a long conversation with her director. She said that she had questioned whether she could do this or if she was too young for the role, and Bhansali had allayed her fears by saying that he would help her do it well.

Bhatt also talked about how her self-doubt helped her in the end, making her put in the extra effort to nail her portrayal and push her to her extreme.

Bhansali, while in a conversation with Variety, had also opened up about Bhatt’s initial reaction to the role, saying that she had left without a word after the narration. She had returned to him the very next day, saying that she would agree to ‘surrender’ to the role the best she could, so that his vision could be fulfilled.

The filmmaker later also said that he was surprised at how well Bhatt was able to pick up his directions, some of which involved the actress speaking in lower notes and adjusting her voice pitch. He said he had been fascinated at how quickly Bhatt ‘became’ Gangubai.

The upcoming film, which also features Vijay Raaz and Ajay Devgn, will be released in theatres on February 25.